Friday, January 15, 2010

I can't believe that I am about to post this, but it's time to say goodbye to Our NY Life.

I want to thank everyone who has read along and enjoyed seeing what our NY Life was like this last year. What a great year for us.

For those friends who didn't make it out to visit us, I wish we were still there to show you around and provide a free place to stay, and for those of you who did make it out to visit....thanks for all the wonderful memories!

Life will be a lot different for us from here on out, but I'm looking forward to our future adventures here in our new, but familiar, Colorado life.

I will have another blog, but I'm unsure what it will look like or what I will name it. I hope to have it up and running before Baby Gus arrives in April, so please stay tuned.

The best way to find the new, not-yet-created blog, will be to go to my photography website, and click on the blog link. It is linked to this blog for now, but will be linked to the new blog when it arrives.

Monday, January 11, 2010

I love getting handmade gifts. Especially from crafty friends. One day last week, I headed up to Janna's house with our friend Erin for lunch and a time to hang out and let the kids play. You may remember Janna and Erin visiting me in NYC for Janna's 30th bday last March. Check 'em out.

Well the most exciting thing is that we are all pregnant! Erin is due one week before me with her first, and Janna is due mid-June with her third. Pregnancy is so much more fun when you can share it with other pregos.

Janna surprised me with some Christmas presents that she made. Look at these adorable coasters she made and hand stitched for me!! I am super impressed with her embroidery skills. The Statue of Liberty cannot be the easiest thing.

And if you are a photographer and don't have a Shootsac, go get one. Then contact Janna for a custom shootsac cover. This fabric is what I used for Ava's bedskirt in her room, and I just love it!!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Unfortunately for us, it was bitter cold, so we didn't make it to Central Park, but that meant we got to ride in a lot of taxis...which made my pregnant self and the kids very happy.

We had breakfast at Tick Tock Diner, then wandered to a couple bookstores, but ended up at Strands, one of New York's best independent bookstores that boasts 18 miles of books. My friend Angela introduced it to me when she visited in November, and they have a great kid's section, so we ended up sitting there reading for quite a while. Oh, and bought some books, because they really do have the BEST prices. Curious George books for $2....everywhere else they are $4. Love it!!

After Strands, we headed back to the hotel room, and that's when all the sickness started. So we ordered room service for dinner and watched a movie in bed. Ahhh.....

The kid's favorite thing about our hotel room, other than the fact we let them jump on the beds, was that we had an amazing view of Times' Square, and there was the perfect kid-sized ledge by the window to give them the best seats in the house. Each morning the first thing they would do is climb up there and watch the sun come up over the tall buildings.

And this was our view on New Year's Eve Day with the City being blanketed in snow. Very peaceful from 38 floors up...

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Is it really 2010? This is the year I will have our third baby and we will celebrate our 10th anniversary. Not to mention a new job for Wade, and a new place to live. Quite the way to begin this decade, don't you think?

So it's been a few days, understandably, since I've even thought of the blog. We have now officially been in Colorado just over a week, and I can't believe all that has happened in these last 7 days.

To begin, we flew back on New Year's Eve, while NYC was getting blanketed by snow. It was gorgeous to see (Wade blames me because I told him I would love to see the City in snow one more time), but it made travelling a little hairy. Ava was sick. Literally. To the point we had to buy her new clothes at LaGuardia. Ya, that kind of sick. And then that kind of sick on the plane.

The plane ride was one of the worst experiences I've had flying. To begin, we didn't have assigned seats. Who knows why. We went to check in the night before and there were no seats available. After our flight was delayed a bit, they finally got us seats...2 in the exit row, and 2 a few rows behind.

"Your children will have to sit by themselves as they are not allowed in the exit row."

Excuse me??

Oh, and by the way, did you not notice I am REALLY pregnant? I don't think pregos are allowed in the exit row either.

So after 5 minutes of some creative seat switching, I was able to sit with the kids and Wade was in the exit row. Only problem is the kids were not allowed to "visit" him in the exit row, and I was not allowed to trade seats with him so we could tag team taking care of the kids...one of whom was ill. Like being in a tiny squished seat at 6 months pregnant isn't bad enough! Oh, and I couldn't convince any passengers around me to switch seats with Wade....why wouldn't you trade someone for an exit row??!!! Hello???!!!!!!

But we made it. 4 1/2 hours later, we made it. I could have kissed the ground at DIA.

So this last week, the illness has spread to Tyson, myself, Wade, both my parents, and even Wade's parents. So stay away unless you want us to spread "the love"!!!

We are slowly recovering, settling into my parent's house (God bless 'em), and getting used to the idea that we actually moved back.

Oh, and did I mention we bought a house a couple days ago? What could have been a lllooooonnnngggggg house hunt (mostly because I am fairly particular), we found one we could agree on that only had one negative thing going for it. It's in Highlands Ranch. A place we thought we would never live. It is the ULTIMATE in suburban living, but we're giving it a whirl. Love the house, the layout, the space, and the schools. I honestly would have loved to buy an older home and done some really cool renovations, but at this stage in our life, I just don't think that is best for us.

My new goal in life is to make a 3 year old suburban home look like it has "character". I will be adding crown moulding, some hardwoods (a little bit down the road), and some bead board. I am kind of excited to marry the modern conveniences with my antique/flea market/modern style. Maybe my new blog should be called, "Our Suburban Life". What do you think?

We close at the end of January, which is a big blessing, so we should be in our new digs by the first week of February.

So to wrap up my ramblings, I just went through some pictures from the last couple weeks, and I have a few more posts on this blog before I bid it farewell. I WILL have another blog that will be linked to my photography website, but I do not know what it will be called or exactly when I will start it.

But for now, I wanted to share my favorite photo from Christmas morning. My favorite thing on Christmas morning is to get up before ANYONE and just sit by the tree and soak in the atmosphere. I could just sit and stare at a decorated tree while the rest of the world sleeps....

P.S. My Christmas present from Wade is priceless. He downloaded my entire blog into a .pdf file that we can publish as a book. I looked at it, and just started bawling. Why wouldn't I? This has been one of the most incredible and exciting years in my life. We will wait until my very last post to do final editing and then I will have a memento to last a lifetime. I love it Wade. And I love you.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Movers are gone, cars were loaded on a flatbed truck, the house is empty, and we've said goodbye to Rye and our wonderful friends. The past couple days have been somewhat a blur with our lives being turned completely upside down and nothing being "normal". Please remind me to never move cross country again when I'm 6 months pregnant!

Luckily Wade and I have been able to keep our sense of humor through the whole thing. I love my husband. Not sure if I've ever told you before.

It is bitter cold here in NY, and we boarded the Rye train all bundled up with our two suitcases and our HUGE car seats. We are staying in the city for the next couple nights and will spend tomorrow running around NYC as a family for the last time. We're staying a couple blocks off of Times Square and we're on the 38th floor. We have an amazing view of the square and if we were here 1 more night, we could watch the festivities and the ball drop from our hotel room window!!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Just wanted to give my big sis and b-in-law a shout out. Happy Anniversary! What is it....18 years?? I think that's right. They got married in 1991. And it was a swanky affair, let me tell you.

Happy Anniversary guys. I hope you're able to get out and celebrate today.

I'm off to IKEA this morning with two neighbors. Sigh....my last IKEA run. Have they broken ground yet in Denver??? You Denver people will LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!! Then back to the house to finish some packing, organizing etc. Movers are showing up tomorrow am to get us packed up!